Event in June to support fight against childhood cancer

I had the pleasure of meeting Todd James, owner of Rita's Italian Ice in the Brighton Tops Plaza (Clinton Road between Westfall and Elmwood), at the Brighton Chamber of Commerce luncheon this week, and he told me about an event he's organizing next month to benefit the Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation. It's from noon to 7 p.m. on June 16 at the Tops Brighton Plaza, with a heavy concentration of activities between 3–5 p.m. So far, 11 stores in the plaza are participating in various ways. The event has the full backing of plaza owner DiMarco Group and permission from the town board.

The event is in memory of Alexandra “Alex” Scott of Manchester, Connecticut, who was diagnosed with neuroblastoma, a type of childhood cancer, shortly before her first birthday. Doctors told Alex’s parents that, if she beat the cancer, it was doubtful that she would ever walk again. Just two weeks later, Alex moved her leg at her parents’ request to kick. This was the first indication of who she would turn out to be – a determined, courageous, confident and inspiring child with big dreams and big accomplishments.

By her second birthday, Alex was crawling and able to stand up with leg braces. She appeared to be beating the odds, until her tumors started growing again. In the year 2000, the day after her fourth birthday, Alex received a stem cell transplant and informed her mother, “When I get out of the hospital, I want to have a lemonade stand.” She wanted to raise money to give to doctors so they could help other children the way they had helped her. She held her first lemonade stand later that year with the help of her older brother and raised $2,000 for “her hospital.”

Alex and her family continued to hold yearly lemonade stands in their front yard to benefit childhood cancer research. News spread, and people from all over the world started holding their own lemonade stands and donating proceeds to her cause.

Alex died in August of 2004, at the age of 8, knowing that, with the help of others, she had raised more than $1 million to help find a cure for the disease that took her life. Her family and supporters around the world are committed to continuing her legacy through the Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation.

Alex’s mom, Liz Scott, will be at the June 16 event, along with the Brighton fire department and a face painter, balloon artist, monster truck and sprint car. Activities will include head-shaving, bounce houses and a game to win a goldfish, rock wall, karate demonstration, silent auction and massage chair. There will be cotton candy, popcorn and, of course, lemonade stands.

Todd is the owner of the first Rita's Italian Ice to open in the Rochester area. He was inspired to support Alex’s Lemonade Stand after hearing about it when his daughter was four years old.